A unique re-creation

Antiquity and modernity

Far from being a mere copy of the noble houses on the island of Delos, the Villa Kerylos is rather a reinvention of ancient Greece. The two men did not want to build a simple pastiche of an ancient Grecian villa but rather to create an original building “along Grecian lines”. Emmanuel Pontremoli ingeniously contrived to incorporate the modern conveniences of Belle Epoque villas into the luxury setting of a classical Grecian villa. For example, the pool in the “Balneion” was filled with water using taps hidden under round grilles and the astonishing folding piano, designed by Pleyel, part of which is hidden in a lemon wood chest.

A living history of the Belle Epoque

The Villa Kerylos is a fantastic place affording visitors a view of living history, not only of ancient Greece but also of the Belle Epoque. A unique tribute to the civilisation of ancient Greece, this villa is nevertheless characteristic of the French Riviera at that time. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Beaulieu-sur-Mer was a fashionable place and much frequented by the elite.

Theodore Reinach died in 1928 and the Villa Kerylos was bequeathed to the Institut de France, of which he had been a member. His children and grandchildren continued to live there until 1967 when the Villa became a listed building.